This is an episode of Songs in the Desert, a collaborative audio project designed to explore the words and music of Christian hymnody and our responses to them.
Listen:
Ep 8 - Hymn 469: "There's a wideness in God's mercy" (mp3)
Subscribe to the Songs in the Desert podcast.
Today's episode comes from Michelle Walker of St. Paul's, Richmond, Va.
Many thanks to Michelle who submitted a written reflection to the project, proving that you don't have to record yourself talking if you really don't want to!
The remaining spots in the project are being filled, so if you're still considering adding your own reflection to the project, don't delay! Visit sinden.org/hymns for details.
Like Episode 4, this episode also features that standout from the Hymnal 1982, Calvin Hampton's hymn tune ST HELENA sung to the words "There's a wideness in God's mercy".
Music used is "Going Home" and "Reflections," both by Lee Rosevere, distributed under a Creative Commons license.
Songs in the Desert began during the season of Lent 2017. You can read more about the project and learn how to submit your own reflection about any hymn you want at the Songs in the Desert homepage. Submissions are still being accepted!
Hymn numbers refer to the Episcopal Hymnal 1982.
Thank you for listening.
Labels: Calvin Hampton, Hymn 469, Songs in the Desert, St Paul's (Richmond)
This is part of Songs in the Desert, a collaborative audio project designed to explore the words and music of Christian hymnody and our responses to them.
Listen:
Ep 7 - "Here is love, vast as the ocean" (mp3)
Subscribe to the Songs in the Desert podcast.
Today's episode comes from Matthew Mazzoni, Music Director at Central Presbyterian Church, St. Louis, Mo.
Matthew recorded himself by using the voice memo app on his smartphone. (Hint: you can do this too!)
The thing about this hymn, as Matthew says in the episode, is that "it's probably not in your hymnal."
1 Here is love, vast as the ocean, loving kindness as the flood, when the Prince of Life, our ransom, shed for us his precious blood. Who his love will not remember? Who can cease to sing his praise? He can never be forgotten throughout heaven's eternal days. 2 On the mount of crucifixion fountains opened deep and wide; through the floodgates of God's mercy flowed a vast and gracious tide. Grace and love, like mighty rivers, poured incessant from above, and heaven's peace and perfect justice kissed a guilty world in love.
William Rees (1802–1883)
Explore "Here is love, vast as the ocean" a bit more at hymnary.org, and do note the "appearance of this hymn in hymnals" chart(!).
Music in this episode was performed by Matthew Mazzoni.
Additional music used is "Reflections" by Lee Rosevere, distributed under a Creative Commons license.
Songs in the Desert began during the season of Lent 2017. You can read more about the project and learn how to submit your own reflection about any hymn you want at the Songs in the Desert homepage. Submissions are still being accepted!
Hymn numbers refer to the Episcopal Hymnal 1982.
Thank you for listening.
Labels: Songs in the Desert
Today we are issuing an invitation to participate in Songs in the Desert, a collaborative audio project designed to explore the words and music of Christian hymnody and our responses to them.
It's not too late to contribute your own thoughts to the project! Visit sinden.org/hymns for more information on how to submit an audio (or written) reflection.
Listen to the invitation:
An invitation to contribute (mp3)
Subscribe to the Songs in the Desert podcast.
Songs in the Desert began during the season of Lent 2017. You can read more about the project and learn how to submit your own reflection about any hymn you want at the Songs in the Desert homepage. Submissions are still being accepted!
Hymn numbers refer to the Episcopal Hymnal 1982.
Thank you for listening.
Labels: Songs in the Desert
The angel and the girl are met, Earth was the only meeting place. For the embodied never yet Travelled beyond the shore of space. The eternal spirits in freedom go. See, they have come together, see, While the destroying minutes flow, Each reflects the other’s face Till heaven in hers and earth in his Shine steady there. He’s come to her From far beyond the farthest star, Feathered through time. Immediacy Of strangest strangeness is the bliss That from their limbs all movement takes. Yet the increasing rapture brings So great a wonder that it makes Each feather tremble on his wings. Outside the window footsteps fall Into the ordinary day And with the sun along the wall Pursue their unreturning way. Sound’s perpetual roundabout Rolls its numbered octaves out And hoarsely grinds its battered tune. But through the endless afternoon These neither speak nor movement make, But stare into their deepening trance As if their gaze would never break.
Words: Edwin Muir (1887-1959)
Labels: Annunciation, Harvey
This is part of Songs in the Desert, a collaborative audio project designed to explore the words and music of Christian hymnody and our responses to them.
Listen:
Ep 6 - Hymn 686: "Come, thou fount of every blessing" (mp3)
Subscribe to the Songs in the Desert podcast.
Today's episode comes from John-Westley Hodges, Director of Music Ministries, St. Paul's, Peoria, Ill., and Co-Founder of Church Music Forward.
John-Westley recorded himself by using the voice memo app on his smartphone. (Hint: you can do this too!)
Music in this episode was performed by John-Westley Hodges.
Songs in the Desert began during the season of Lent 2017. You can read more about the project and learn how to submit your own reflection about any hymn you want at the Songs in the Desert homepage. Submissions are still being accepted!
Hymn numbers refer to the Episcopal Hymnal 1982.
Thank you for listening.
Labels: Hymn 686, Songs in the Desert
Thanks to popular demand from our many listeners, you can now subscribe to Songs in the Desert as a podcast in iTunes!
Labels: Songs in the Desert
This is part of Songs in the Desert, a collaborative audio project designed to explore the words and music of Christian hymnody and our responses to them.
Listen:
Ep 5 - Hymn 226: "Come, thou Holy Spirit bright" (mp3)
Today's episode comes from the Rev. Ian Lasch, Associate Rector for Formation and Fellowship, St. Peter's, St. Louis.
Ian recorded himself by using the voice memo app on his smartphone. (Hint: you can do this too!)
Songs in the Desert began during the season of Lent 2017. You can read more about the project and learn how to submit your own reflection about any hymn you want at the Songs in the Desert homepage. Submissions are still being accepted!
Hymn numbers refer to the Episcopal Hymnal 1982.
Thank you for listening.
Labels: Hymn 226, Songs in the Desert
This is part of Songs in the Desert, a collaborative audio project designed to explore the words and music of Christian hymnody and our responses to them.
Listen:
Ep 4 - Hymn 469: "There's a wideness in God's mercy" (mp3)
Today's episode comes from Robert Richter, Director of Music & Organist, St. Christopher's, Carmel, Ind.
Robert recorded himself by using the voice memo app on his smartphone. (Hint: you can do this too!)
The recording of the hymn, courtesy of Mr. Richter, was made at Christ Church, Bronxville, N.Y., directed by Christopher Wells, with Mr. Richter at the organ.
This episode was edited by Robert Richter.
Songs in the Desert began during the season of Lent 2017. You can read more about the project and learn how to submit your own reflection about any hymn you want at the Songs in the Desert homepage.
Hymn numbers refer to the Episcopal Hymnal 1982.
Thank you for listening.
Labels: Calvin Hampton, Christ Church (Bronxville NY), Hymn 469, Songs in the Desert
Last Wednesday, on International Women's Day, the weekly BBC broadcast of Choral Evensong was from Truro Cathedral.
In that service all of the music – we do mean all of it – was composed by women. We do commend this service to you if you have not already heard it (you have about a month left to listen as of this writing).
One composer that I was particularly glad to hear was Sasha Johnson Manning (b. 1963). You might have heard of her, but chances are that if you live in the USA (like me) you haven't.
Her Responses for the service were splendidly rich, and her Anglican Chants for the psalms were splendidly conceived – a breath of fresh air.
Who is Sasha Johnson Manning? Well, you can read a bit about her on this Wikipedia article.
But coming to St. Peter's, St. Louis a bit over a year ago, it was hard not to encounter her music.
Thanks to a connection with a parishioner, St. Peter's has commissioned Manning on numerous occasions.
Said parishioner is at the helm of the Saint Louis Chamber Chorus, where Manning has previously held the position of composer-in-residence.
And let us pause for a moment to laud the work of the Saint Louis Chamber Chorus in commissioning and performing new music. This group and their work on this front should be more widely known.
Organist Scott Montgomery recorded her Parade for St. Peter on his 2010 CD Inspirations from England, which was recorded on the Mander organ at St. Peter's, the instrument for which it was composed.
Her music was recorded on the St. Peter's Choir's 2013 CD A Year In Saint Louis. Her carol "A wonder of angels", recorded on that disc, is immediately attractive.
Manning was commissioned to write a piece in honor of my predecessor which he directed St. Peter's for the AGO Regional Convention in St. Louis in 2015.
And last May I conducted the premiere of a new communion anthem by Manning, "Here, O my Lord".
This is part of Songs in the Desert, a collaborative audio project designed to explore the words and music of Christian hymnody and our responses to them.
Listen:
Ep 3 - Coe Fen: "How shall I sing that majesty" (mp3)
Today's episode comes from Abby Schoppe, Music Director at Faith Lutheran Church, Andover, Mass.
Her chosen hymn, paired with the tune COE FEN, can be found in the English hymnal Common Praise (2000) at Hymn 466.
Abby recorded herself by using the voice memo app on her smartphone. (Hint: you can do this too!)
The music is from a recording a service at St. Peter's, St. Louis.
Songs in the Desert began during the season of Lent 2017. You can read more about the project and learn how to submit your own reflection about any hymn you want at the Songs in the Desert homepage.
Generally hymn numbers refer to the Episcopal Hymnal 1982, but this episode is different because this hymn is not included in that or any other American hymnal that we know of.
Thank you for listening.
Labels: Coe Fen, Songs in the Desert
This is part of Songs in the Desert, a collaborative audio project designed to explore the words and music of Christian hymnody and our responses to them.
Listen:
Ep 2 - Hymn 696: "By gracious powers so wonderfully sheltered" (mp3)
Today's episode comes from Jessica Nelson, Organist & Director of Music at All Saints, Tupelo, Miss.
Jessica recorded herself by using the voice memo app on her smartphone. (Hint: you can do this too!)
The music is provided by Jessica at the piano, with additional piano music recorded in the choir room of St. Peter's, St. Louis.
Songs in the Desert began during the season of Lent 2017. You can read more about the project and learn how to submit your own reflection about any hymn you want at the Songs in the Desert homepage.
Hymn numbers refer to the Episcopal Hymnal 1982.
Thank you for listening.
Labels: Bonhoeffer, Hymn 696, Songs in the Desert
This is the first episode of Songs in the Desert, a collaborative audio project designed to explore the words and music of Christian hymnody and our responses to them.
Listen:
Ep 1 - Hymn 324: "Let all mortal flesh keep silence" (mp3)
Today's episode comes from Mary Davenport Davis, Minister for Youth and Social Media at Trinity Church, Boston.
Mary recorded herself by using the voice memo app on her smartphone. (Hint: you can do this too!)
The music in this episode comes from a live recording of Hymn 324 from St. Peter's, St. Louis.
Special thanks to Jason Sims for naming this project.
Songs in the Desert began during the season of Lent 2017. You can read more about the project and learn how to submit your own reflection about any hymn you want at the Songs in the Desert homepage.
Thank you for listening.
Labels: Hymn 324, Songs in the Desert
Listen to T. S. Eliot, a St. Louis native, read his long poem Ash Wednesday.
Labels: Ash Wednesday, St. Louis, T. S. Eliot
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